An Exposition of Hosea 11-13, Exposition · Chapter 11 · Verse 2
VERS. 2.
As they called them, ſo they went from them, &c.
AS they] That is, Moſes and Aaron, and other Prophets, and Miniſters of God ſent unto them, they Expoſ.called them to ſerve the Lord, and to worſhip him according to his own way. And eſpecially they called them from Idolaters and falſe worſhip.
As they called them, ſo ſome turn it; that is, Though they were ſo called, ſo called, yet they went from them. foreign. 70.When the means of God is ſo powerful, to reſiſt then is a very great evil. If our Goſpel; that is, our Goſpel preached 2 Cor. 5. 4. illuſtrated.with ſo much plaineſs and power is hid, it is hid to thoſe that are loſt. But take it here:
As they called them] that is, Look what earn…eſs there was in Moſes and Aaron and other Miniſters of God to call them from their evil waies, ſo much ſtubornneſs and ſtoutneſs was it for them to go againſt it. Calvin thinks it is, Becauſe they called them, THEREFORE Calvin in loc.they went from them.
Becauſe they called them; that is, They went from them for the very nonce (as we uſe to ſay.) Becauſe Moſes would have us do thus and thus, we will do the quite contrary for the very nonce.
They went from them: that is, Turned their backs upon them; like ſtuborn Children and Servants when they are called they will not hear, but turn their backs upon you; ſo did they to Moſes From whence obſerve;
Firſt, It is a mercy of God, to have Gods Miniſters calling Obſ. 1us to obedience. Who are we that God ſhould ſend his Meſſengers after us? What need hath God of us? Suppoſe we go on in the waies of death and periſh, what ſhal God loſe by it? But this is Gods mercy, that he will cal after us; God may ſay, If you will go, go on and periſh everlaſtingly: Oh! but he doth not ſo.
Secondly, When God hath called us out of affliction, it is Obſ. 2.a great addition of mercy to call us out of ſin unto duty; and we ſhould account one as great as another. We think it a great mercy if the Lord will call us out of an affliction; but when God calls us out of a miſery, and calls us to a duty, Do you think that that's as great a mercy? That's a ſign of a ſanctified heart indeed. You are in ſickneſs and under great extremity; if God ſhould ſay, I wil give out my Word to deliver you, that would be a ſweet word you would ſay. I but when God gives out his Word to call thee out of thy ſin to a duty, thou ſhouldeſt as joyfully take an hint of that Word of God too; Oh! do you prize Gods call unto you from ſin to duty, as much as from miſery to proſperity.
Thirdly, It's a great aggravation of mens ſins if they be Obſ. 3.called to duty, after God hath called them out of miſery and they do not obey it. After thou comeſt out of an affliction, whether bodily or ſpiritual, God expects thou ſhouldeſt as diligently hearken to his call that calls thee to duty, as thou doeſt take hold of his mercy when he held it to thee to deliver thee out of thine affliction; charge thy ſoul How we ſhould charge our ſouls if we anſwer not Gods call to duty after deliverance.thus, Oh wrenched heart that I have, I called to God, and God hath heard my call, and now God hath delivered me, and calls me to a duty, and ſhall I ſtop mine ears againſt Gods call? Oh how juſt were it for God to leave me in miſery, when I turn my back to him when he cals me to a duty!
Fourthly, For men not only to diſobey Gods call, but to Obſ. 4.turn away themſelves from it, and from thoſe that ſpeak to them in his Name, this is very wicked, a high degree of ſinfulneſs before God: In Jer. 2. 27. They have turned their back unto Jer. 2. 27.me, but not their face; and ſo in Jer. 32. 33. They turn their Chap. 32. 33.backs, that's more than not to obey. Our backs, that is, to refuſe to obey, to reſolve not to obey, in Jer. 18. 17. Chap. 18. 17.God threatens them that in the day of their calamity he would ſhew them his back too; as when a Traytor is illuſtrated.petitioning to his Prince, ſo long as the Prince is but willing to parly with him, and reade his Petition, there is hope, but if the Prince turns his back and will not look upon his Petition, there's no hope then: So there is hope of people that we may bring them to obedience ſo Uſe to Miniſters.long as they will hearken to the Word, but if once they turn their backs, then there's little hope; ſo when God turns his back upon ſinners there's little hope then. Remember you that turn your back upon calls to obedience, Jer. 18. 17. to be remembered by thoſe that turn their backs on the Word.Oh! remember that Scripture in Jer. 18. 17. that God threatens in the day of your calamity he will turn his back to you. Now this wickedneſs men do not grow to on a ſudden; at firſt they are loth to be convinced that ſuch a thing is a truth, but at length when the evidence of truth comes cleer they in a deſperate way turn How men come to that height.their backs upon it and reſolve not to hearken to it: a famous inſtance you have of this in Jer. At firſt they ſaid that Jeremiah did not ſpeak the Word of the Lord, but Ier. 43. 2. with Chap. 44. 86.afterward, As for the Word of the Lord that thou haſt ſpoken, we will not hear.
Fifhly, It is yet a higher wickedneſs to have our corruptions irritated by the Word and provoked. As they call'd, ſo they Obſ. 5.went away. When mens hearts grow as Lime, that the ſhowers of the Word ſhall inflame them, this is a ſad condition indeed; when the more cleer evidence they Simile.have of the Word, the more deſperate wicked they grow. We find it ſo in ſome places, when the word comes with the greateſt power, this is all the effect it hath upon the hearts of men, to make them the more deſperate wicked. You wonder ſometimes that where the Word is preached Why men moſt wicked where there is great meanswith power men ſhould grow more wicked; wonder not at it, for where the Word doth not convert ſinners, it doth harden them.
Sixtly, From the extream perverſeneſs and ſtubornneſs Obſ. 6.of the Jews we may learn this Leſſon, That Gods free Grace is very great and very ſtrong; the Lord was merciful to his people that were thus ſtuborn and ſtout, but the more they were call'd to obedience the more wicked they grew, and yet Gods mercy continued towards them for a long time together, and indeed in that God ſhould ſet his heart and love upon ſuch a people as this, it is one of the greateſt helps againſt deſpair almoſt as any we know, Do but look into the Book of God, and reade of The Jews a very wicked people: yet notwithſtanding God makes them his peculier people.the people of the Jews what wretched, froward, perverſe, ſtuborn, ſtout-hearted people they were, and yet that God of all the people of the earth ſhould chuſe them to be his peculier people; Oh! the free Grace of God! there's nothing that God hath in his deſign more than to honor free Grace. I confeſs I had thought to have ſpent ſome time in ſhewing to you the extream ſtubornneſs of Gods greateſt delign is, to magnifie his free-grace.the people of the Jews, and all to this end to magnifie the free grace of God towards ſuch an unworthy people; you find that God doth ſo himſelf when he ſpeaks of his Mercy to that people, he doth give them this notice, That he would have them to know, that what he did for them was not for their own righteouſneſs, in Deut. 9. 6. Ʋnderſtand therefore that the Lord thy God giveth thee not this Deut. 9. 6.good I and to poſſeſs it for thy righteouſneſs; for thou art a ſtiff-necked people; As if God ſhould ſay, I might magnifie free Grace, whereas I might have choſen ſome other people that might have been more yeeldable to my hand, I illuſtrated.choſe you, that it might appear that all that I did was out of free Grace. In Pſal. 78. 8. Be not ſtuborn as your Pſal. 78. 8.forefathers were; they are called ſtout-hearted, ſtiff necked, ſtrong, they ſeem to be of ſtrong ſpirits, but it is ſtrong againſt the truth; and though ſtubornneſs hath a kind of Glory in it, yet the truth is, there is nothing but weakneſs in it: in Ezek. 16. 30. How weak is thy heart, Ezek. 16. 30.ſaith the Lord, ſeeing thou doeſt all theſe things, the work of an imperious whoriſh woman? They are ſaid to be ſtronghearted, ſtiff hearted, but ſaith the holy Ghoſt, how weak is thy heart? and you ſhall find in Scripture that they are called ſtiff necked, and Iron-…inewed, and that they walked contrary to God, and that they are perverſe and crooked, and that they had hardened their hearts and made them like an Adamant; and ſaith Stephen, You have alwaies reſiſted the holy Ghoſt; and impudent children, Act. 7. 52.and rebellious children: It is very obſervable if you read thoſe Scriptures, preſently after they came out of the Land of Egypt, within three daies after God had ſhown them ſuch a miraculous work they fell to murmuring, nay, they did not ſtay ſo long, for it is ſaid in Pſal. Pſal. 106. 7. Exod. 14. 11, 12. Exod. 16. 2. 28. Chap. 17. 2. with the continual ſtory of the Iſraelites confirm the doctrine.106. They provoked the Lord at the Sea, even at the red Sea. And in Exod. 16. 2. 28. and in chap. 17. ver. 2. the people did chide with Moſes again, ſo reade the ſtory of Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Judges, and the Kings, and you ſhall find them continually rebelling, a people with an Iron ſinew againſt God, and yet for all that the Lord makes choice of this people, and loves them; Oh! free Grace, the free Grace of God. When your children are ſtuborn and ſtout againſt you conſider of this, you think A meditation for parents vexed with ſtuborn children. Uſe. Comfort againſt a ſtubborn heart.it a grievous affliction to you, Oh! but there is none in the world that are ſo croſſed with ſtuborn children as God himſelf is.
And though you ſhould find your hearts to be very ſtuborn, yet for all that do not have your hearts ſink with deſpair, for Gods Grace is free to overcome even ſtubornneſs, as it did here. You have a moſt remarkable place for that, for the overcoming of ſtubornneſs, in Exod. 34. 9. Let my Lord I pray thee go amongſt us (for it is a ſtiff-necked Exod. 34. 9.people) This was no argument of deſpair, that God ſhould not go among them (for it is a ſtiff-necked people:) But Moſes makes ſuch an argument with God, Lord, they are a ſtiff-necked people, yet I pray thee let my Lord go amongſt us, and pardon our iniquity and our ſin, and take us for thine heritage. [Where by the way we may note how the Chaldae paraphraſe renders this, viz. Let the Majeſty of the Lord go with us; the Majeſty or Divine Preſence: the Hebrews call it Shecinah foreign they uſually diſtinguiſh this from God the father, and ſay there is no coming before the bleſſed high King without Shecinah. So our Savior more plainly, John, 14. 16. But to return.]
God holds forth by this example that he would have none ſink with deſpair, but be brought in by his free Grace, notwithſtanding their ſtuborn hearts that they have had againſt him.
Now as for the latter part of this ſecond verſe, of their ſacrificing to Baalim, and burning incenſe to graven Images, I ſhall not need to ſpeak to that, as having ſpoken of that heretofore.